Coventry High shows 'promise'

Coventry High School, recently recognized as a “School of Promise” by the Ohio Department of Education, has been congratulated for its high academic achievement.

Comment

By Noor Hindi

The Suburbanite

By Noor Hindi

Posted Nov. 8, 2013 at 1:47 PM

By Noor Hindi

Posted Nov. 8, 2013 at 1:47 PM

COVENTRY TWP.

Coventry High School, recently recognized as a "School of Promise" by the Ohio Department of Education, has been congratulated for its high academic achievement.

"(To qualify for the award) you have to have at least 40 percent of your students on the free or reduced lunch program," Superintendent Rusty Chaboudy said. "In our high school, it's about 45 percent right now."

According to the Ohio Department of Education, these students must meet the 75 percent proficiency mark to achieve this award, which is tough for many low-income high schools. But, with the help of the community, teachers, and students, Coventry High School has been able to meet these requirements.

"I think our high school teachers do a great job of individualizing instruction as much as they can," Chaboudy said. "To me, that's the whole key. So the more individual attention they can give to a student, the better that student is going to do. And I think that's something our high school teachers do very well."

Allison Cooper, a sophomore at Coventry High Schools also praises the teachers for their creative teaching methods and their caring attitudes.

"I give props to the teachers because they make learning fun. They know how to keep us interested. Our school wouldn't be so accelerated in our academics if the teachers weren't so involved with our learning experiences." Cooper said. "The teachers care a lot about us. They are glad to help students with problems inside and outside of school."

Kim Milinkovich, an English teacher who has worked with Coventry High School for 20 years said the award is indicative of how much the teachers achieve.

"This award is a great accomplishment for CHS because we are always doing more and more with less and less," Milinkovich said. "I feel our students get a good education that makes them ready for both college and careers of (the) 21st century."

Milinkovich lso gives credit to the community for being so active within the school.

One of the ways the community showed its support was through the passage of recentl levy that will allow for the construction of a new high school building. The new school will help the students and teacher academically and financially.

"Now, we have an opportunity to have the same facilities that (students and teachers) need for a 21st century learning environment," Chaboudy said, "and that was probably the hardest thing explaining to people why a 1920 building just doesn't make it for kids anymore."

All three Coventry schools will be located within a short distance of each other, allowing them to save money on bussing, and invest on other expenditures, further helping Coventry High School.

The new Coventry High School is expected to be finished during the 2016-2017 school year. Meanwhile, teachers, students and community members continue to work towards bettering test scores and creating higher standards within Coventry High School.

Page 2 of 2 - The "district is really moving in a positive way," Chaboudy said, noting that the "School of Promise" recognition is an example of how Coventry is moving forward.